I’m totally thrilled that my childhood friendships have withstood the test of time enough to make the wedding day invite list and the annual birthday happy hour, but every so often, I wish for a phone call, text or invitation that didn’t come accompanied by an overinflated spending expectation.

The idea was simple: to gather a group of women who would meet regularly to support each others' lives and careers by reading and discussing interesting books and articles, and by sharing thoughts, experiences, and resources. Steph and I hoped it might become something we'd want to participate in for the long-term, allowing us to track people's career development through various life phases and jobs.